Billy Laughlin
Encyclopedia
William Robert "Billy" Laughlin (July 5, 1932 - August 31, 1948) was an American child actor
. He is best known for playing the character Froggy in the Our Gang
short films in its final stretch, from 1940 to 1944.
, Laughlin rose to fame at the age of eight when he appeared in his first Our Gang film, The New Pupil
. His character was known for his strange, Popeye
-esque guttural voice, which was reminiscent of a frog's croak. Contrary to popular belief, Laughlin did the voice himself without dubbing (in the 1994 film, the character's voice was dubbed by E.G. Daily).
When Our Gang stopped production in 1944, Laughlin voluntarily moved away from show business and enjoyed relatively peaceful teenage years.
. He and his friend, who was also delivering newspapers, were killed instantly.
Laughlin lived the shortest life of the actors who appeared in the Our Gang films, dying at age 16.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
. He is best known for playing the character Froggy in the Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
short films in its final stretch, from 1940 to 1944.
Career
Born in San Gabriel, CaliforniaSan Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
, Laughlin rose to fame at the age of eight when he appeared in his first Our Gang film, The New Pupil
The New Pupil
The New Pupil is a 1940 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Edward Cahn. It was the 190th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
. His character was known for his strange, Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
-esque guttural voice, which was reminiscent of a frog's croak. Contrary to popular belief, Laughlin did the voice himself without dubbing (in the 1994 film, the character's voice was dubbed by E.G. Daily).
When Our Gang stopped production in 1944, Laughlin voluntarily moved away from show business and enjoyed relatively peaceful teenage years.
Death
Laughlin died on August 31, 1948, when a bus hit him from behind while he was delivering newspapers and riding a motor scooter in La Puente, CaliforniaLa Puente, California
La Puente is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 39,816 at the 2010 census.* City flower: The Golden Hibiscus* City colors: Green and White.-History:...
. He and his friend, who was also delivering newspapers, were killed instantly.
Laughlin lived the shortest life of the actors who appeared in the Our Gang films, dying at age 16.